A Birthday Wish
by Dhampir72
Summary: It's Komui's birthday. But it looks like no one is going to be home to celebrate with him.


Title: A Birthday Wish

Summary: It's Komui's birthday, but it doesn't look like anyone is going to be home to celebrate with him.

Rating: PG

Content: A little angst. And a cut off swear word. That's really it…

Author's Note: Just something I thought I would write in honor of our favorite Science Department head, since it's his birthday today (June 13th) and I'm posting this story, even though it isn't very good (written in about 45 minutes) so…enjoy!

A little textual note too: I use the words _mei mei _and _ge ge_ in this fic. Both are real Chinese words: _mei mei_ means "little sister" and _ge ge_ means "older brother" just so everyone knows what I'm talking about

pdpd

_Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork_.

The paper was stacked high up on his desk and the guys from the science department kept bringing him more and more to sign or stamp. It seemed like the piles surrounding him were getting larger by the second, confining him inside of a paper prison. Komui took his quill and dipped it in his inkwell, scratching on some parchment in front of him. The doodles began to take over the small, yellowed scrap.

"I have more for you, Chief," a voice sounded over the mountain of papers.

They dropped the papers on top of a huge pile in front of him, blocking out the one little ray of sun that was shining through the window. Now it was like he was in complete darkness. He sighed, wanting to get away, wanting to build something. Anything. Something needed to be moving; something that wasn't his hand signing all these papers. He wanted to do something fun.

"It is my birthday…after all," Komui murmured to himself, straightening his glasses.

He took his bunny mug and took a swig, only to find that it had gone cold and bitter from sitting too long. There was a ring on the paper where he had set the cup. Komui vaguely hoped that the document wasn't that important, but didn't bother to check.

Standing and stretching, he thought he'd go wander off to find some more coffee. That would keep him busy for all of maybe ten minutes. If he walked slow, maybe twelve. If there wasn't any coffee left and he had to make some, maybe the better half of fifteen minutes. That just wasn't a long enough reprieve in his mind.

He barely made it to the door when Reever was standing there in front of him with another stack. It looked terribly heavy for the scientist, and terribly boring for Komui.

"Did you sign the rest of those papers?" Reever asked.

"Mmm. Of course," Komui lied, and walked around the squad leader.

"THESE AREN'T DONE!"

Komui could hear Reever's shout from inside his office, but he was already down the hall and on his way. Maybe he would go and talk to Jerry for a little while to keep him busy. So instead of heading to the lounge to make coffee, he made a detour and headed toward the cafeteria. Some Finders rushed by him, probably heading out on a mission. Komui wished for a moment he could go with them. It was times like these when he felt a little useless, only good enough for signing papers. He couldn't go out there like the Finders and the Exorcists.

"Useless," he sighed out loud.

Komui entered the cafeteria and walked over to Jerry's window. He was busy cooking something in a pot before he ran back over to the stove and then to a skillet and back again. Komui didn't want to bother him so he left.

The bunny cup was still empty and he was dragging because of his lack of caffeine, but the lounge was too far away and he didn't want to walk all the way there and then all the way back. He wished that Lenalee was there. Not just because she always knew when to bring him coffee, but because her bright smile and encouraging words kept him going throughout the day, more than the caffeine. He had to smile; Komui was so proud of his little sister.

But, alas, as an Exorcist, Lenalee had been called out on a mission and was currently in some foreign place far from home. Allen was with her, most likely. Komui hoped that Allen was taking care of her, even though he knew it was probably the other way around.

His feet had taken him back to his office. Reever was standing there fuming over the piles of work he still had to do.

"You haven't even TOUCHED these, have you?!"

Reever went on for a while as Komui seated himself behind his desk and played with the quill on his desk, occasionally nodding or something that signified that he was listening, even when he wasn't. Komui was saved when his telephone rang.

"Komui here."

"Bro—er, we fi—ed our mi—n," Lenalee said on the other end of the line.

The line was breaking up.

"Mmm. That's good! When are you coming home?" Komui asked, using his usual tone when talking to his _mei mei_.

"I—om—n. Ge—ng—xt—ain. Se—u—oon."

And then her line cut out, leaving just the dial tone. He couldn't get much out of her message except that they had finished their mission. Komui hoped they were coming back to Headquarters right away; he wanted to see his sister on his birthday, even if that was a little selfish.

He set the phone down. Reever had gone and sent Johnny in with more papers. Komui figured that signing them would pass the time so he pulled out his quill and decided to write. The phone rang again.

"Komui here."

"It's Kanda. The mission is done."

And then he hung up. Komui stared at the phone before setting it down again. Picking up his quill to resume he dipped it in his inkwell. But the phone rang again before he could get a signature down.

"Komui here."

"Hey, Komui. It's Lavi. Book—n and I fin—ed our research. We're com—g home s—n, once this storm pa—es."

His line crackled a little too, though not as bad as Lenalee's.

"A storm, huh?" Komui said.

"Aha! Ye—h! F—ing sucks!" Lavi was laughing on the other end.

"Well, we'll see you both when you get home," Komui replied.

"Mm—ay."

And then there was the dial tone again. Komui listened to it for a while before hanging it up on the cradle. Then he looked at the paperwork again and the empty coffee cup. Everything seemed dismal now. He had so much work to do and no coffee and no one was going to be home for his birthday.

_I'm a grown man. I'll be fine. Just another birthday. I've only had…what? Twenty-nine of these before. My thirtieth won't be any different_.

Komui felt old. He removed his glasses, running his hand over his face. Today, he was thirty. But the sad thing was…no one seemed to remember.

pdpd

It was later in the afternoon when the storm came in. The rain beat against the windows relentlessly. Komui almost fell asleep because of the regular sound and the dangerously low levels of caffeine in his body. He still hadn't gotten his second cup yet. It was like every time he tried to leave, Reever was standing at the door glaring at him with those eyes that hadn't seen sleep in God-knows-how-long.

So Komui had been forced to sign papers all day. His hand was cramped up and he was tired. He wasn't sure if it was because of the boring work or the fact that he was another year older.

Eventually, he did fall asleep on his desk, waking up only when a large crack of thunder sounded, making it seem like the entire building was going to fall down. It was dark outside, either from the storm or the late hour.

Standing up, he made his way from behind the stacks of documents on his desk and through the sea of paper on his floor. The science department was strangely empty, lit only with gas lamps. Judging from the timepiece on the wall, everyone had gone down to dinner.

Komui dragged himself down the hallway again, towards the cafeteria. He made up his mind to go in and get something to eat before heading up to his room. There, he could properly wallow in self-pity and old-ness in private.

He came to the doors of the cafeteria, and for a thrilling moment, Komui thought about last year when the staff had surprised him and thrown him a big party. It made him feel a little selfish that he wanted those stupid banners and balloons again. And it made him feel a little disappointed when he opened the door and found that it was just the normal cafeteria: no decorations or banners or balloons. Komui gave a forced little smile.

_It's okay. I don't need it._

Komui kept telling himself that. He didn't need all the decorations and banners and balloons. No. But he did want some recognition. He wanted someone to remember. Anyone.

After that, he didn't want to eat. But he didn't want to look too disappointed either. He had Jerry make him some more coffee and then left. The coffee didn't seem to taste right when it wasn't in his special mug. Or maybe it was because Lenalee didn't make it…

He was just headed off to his room, to go sulk and mope a little, when he heard Johnny calling him from a floor down.

"Chief! Lenalee and Walker came back! They have a report for you!"

Komui's heart fluttered a little. Lenalee was back and Allen was too. Lenalee could make him some coffee and call him _ge ge_ like she did sometimes. He didn't realize he was taking the stairs two at a time before he almost tripped and fell the rest of the way.

Upon arriving at his office, he found that the two of them weren't there. Number 65 floated in with a message taped over its face:

Ge Ge. Tired after the journey. Went to the lounge with Allen. Give you the report there.

---Lenalee

So Komui went and headed up to the lounge. He'd had such a terribly boring birthday and all he wanted to do was hug his sister and tell her all about it. And then she'd make him coffee in his bunny mug and smile and tell him all about her mission. That would make his day better than any decorations or balloons could.

"Lenalee!"

He only saw the back of her for an instant before he was hugging her tightly.

"Lenelee came home! I missed my _mei mei_! I missed you! Lenalee!"

Komui wanted to go on about his day and his coffee and how he thought Reever was going to murder him, but was stopped when Lenalee turned in his grip and hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her face was buried in his chest, like she used to do when she was younger. It was a real, affectionate hug; one that he had not received in a while.

"I missed you too, _ge ge_. I'm home now. Happy Birthday," Lenalee said softly.

That's when Komui looked somewhere other than his sister and saw the lounge decorated with those balloons and banners that he had hated himself for expecting. The members of the science department were there, looking proud of themselves though still as dorky in their brightly colored cone-like birthday hats.

"You all remembered…?"

Komui could feel himself tearing up. Though he was thirty today, he felt like he was going to cry like a three year old.

"Of course we did!" Some people sounded angry at Komui for thinking they wouldn't remember.

"How could we forget?" Others were smiling affectionately.

"Lenalee was really afraid we wouldn't get home in time. You should have seen her telling the train conductor to go faster," Allen said, looking somewhat scared at the memory.

Komui hugged her tighter, feeling like he was seriously going to cry.

"I hope I missed the singing."

Everyone looked to the door where Kanda was standing, looking annoyed that he had to be there.

"Nope. You didn't. Just in time though," Lenalee replied.

Kanda made an indignant noise, but sat down on the nearest couch. He glared at someone who offered him a hat. Komui couldn't help but laugh.

"Coming through!"

Jerry came into the room, carrying a huge cake. Candles had been placed all over the frosted purple surface. "Happy Birthday Komui" was written at the top, barely visible because of all the white candles.

"Are we getting boozed yet?"

Everyone turned around again to look at the door, where Lavi and Bookman were standing, their traveling cloaks drenched from the rain outside. Bookman kind of slapped Lavi upside the head, with a muttered: "Idiot."

"We're just about to light the candles," Lenalee said.

"Oh, sweet! Can I light them?"

There was a chorus of "No!" when everyone saw Lavi reaching for Odzuchi Kodzuchi.

"Time to sing, everyone! That means you too, Kanda-kun," Lenalee said.

Komui could hear his "keh" from wherever the long-haired Exorcist was in the room. Then they all sang, most of them off key and terribly, but it was still a song, just for him. For his birthday. He tried not to cry.

"Okay! Make a wish!" Jerry said.

All the candles were lit and everyone gathered around. Komui thought about it for a moment, listening to all the whispering around him. On one side:

"Hey Yuu, how's come you're dry? It's a storm out there!"

"Maybe because I'm not an idiot. Move, Moyashi."

"Don't call me Moyashi!"

"Be quiet you three."

"Sorry, Reever."

"Hey, are we late?"

"Miranda? Krory!? Where have you guys been?"

"Miranda got us lost…"

"We ended up in some scary place…"

"It was terrible…"

"You guys, be quiet."

"Sorry!"

Komui was smiling. On his other side:

"Wish for a pony, Komui!"

"No! How about: no work…forever!"

"That we win the war!"

"Just blow out the candles already!"

"If you can! There are so many!"

"How old are you now?!"

"You're an old man now, Chief!"

"C'mon and blow them out already so we can eat!"

"Okay, okay!" Komui laughed.

_I wish we could all be here like this…for many more birthdays to come._

He blew out the candles, some people helping him because there were way more than he could get in one breath. Then everyone was clapping and cheering, wearing their stupid hats as they all got cake. There were presents and (unfortunately) more singing and there was some alcohol, which got a few people in higher spirits than necessary.

Komui watched from the couch as everyone enjoyed themselves: laughing and talking and drinking, making merry with one another. It was a nice sight. Like none of them had any cares in the world.

"Here you go."

His bunny cup was in front of his eyes now, with steaming coffee inside of it. Lenalee sat down next to him on the couch as he took a long sip. She had made it and it was good.

"So how was your birthday?"

She was smiling. Komui smiled too and leaned his head on her shoulder, hiding his face from the room. He was afraid that he was going to cry. Maybe his age was making him sentimental.

"I'm just glad…everyone could make it."

It was a wonderful party.


End file.
